Along with the conclusion of construction on the new LHS pool, there will be 109 new parking spots added to the campus in the spring of 2019. These additional spots will make it possible for all seniors to park on campus.

A small parking lot near the new pool will contribute 40 spots and a new road will be built, allowing for 69 more. This two-lane road will lead out to Park Avenue and stretch all the way to the north lot, where LHS staff and faculty currently park.

According to Principal Dr. Tom Koulentes, the construction should be complete by the spring: “We are totally confident that it’ll be done before graduation,” Dr. Koulentes shared. “We’re optimistic and hopeful that it’ll be done right before spring break.”

The completion depends on the weather this winter; if temperatures stay mild, there is a greater chance that construction will be done by spring break.

Max Sauers is one of the unlucky seniors who didn’t receive a parking pass this year. His biggest concern with the current system is its lack of preference for people with special circumstances: “It definitely should factor in how far you live, if you’re driving somebody, how many extracurriculars you do.”

Junior Emma Illian backed this up, sharing that students who live within a five-minute walk should have the last priority for a spot.

Even though there will be more spots available, carpooling will still be encouraged and incentivized, Dr. Koulentes said. One reason for this is the environmental impact. Carpooling helps create a more sustainable, healthy environment. Dr. Koulentes explained that the school also wants to minimize the number of cars driving to school every morning. This will not only help keep campus traffic under control, but it will also limit traffic congestion in the community.

If a substantial number of seniors agree to carpool, there will potentially be spots left unused. This brings up the possibility of a lottery for juniors to get spot; while there are no current plans for this, Dr. Koulentes said it is a possibility.

Sauers shared his support for this idea: “I have nothing against the non-seniors getting spots as long as there’s enough spots for all the seniors.”

With construction of a new pool, plans to convert the current pool have arisen. With the help of the Principal’s Advisory Board, Dr. Koulentes said the administration has been looking at tearing out the pool and that space would become a dance studio. The pool deck above it would become a multipurpose room for PE classes during the day, and used for after school-activities such as wrestling.

This plan has not yet been approved by the school board. However, an anticipated start date is not until the summer of 2019, after the current construction is complete.